Katarina Johnson-Thompson is fighting to claim her first global title after a mixed morning in the pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships.

The 25-year-old, the pre-competition favourite, was second after three events with 2873 points – 13 points behind leader Yorgelis Rodriguez from Cuba.

A lifetime best of 12.68m in the shot put kept the Great Britain star in firm contention but she was down 68 points from the same stage three years ago, when she won European Indoor gold.

2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Day Two – Arena Birmingham
Katarina Johnson-Thompson competing in the high jump element of the pentathlon (Simon Cooper/PA)

She only cleared 1.91m in the high jump, well below her personal best of 1.98m,  and failing three times at 1.94m.

Earlier in Birmingham she posted an unspectacular 7.36s in the 60m hurdles, equalling a season’s best as she came fifth in the heats.

It still left her 2167 points and top after two events and but she dropped to second after coming ninth in the shot.

Johnson-Thompson went in as favourite with the top three from last year’s heptathlon at the World Championships – Nafissatou Thiam, Carolin Schafer and Anouk Vetter – absent.

Elsewhere, Great Britain’s Asha Philip qualified for the evening’s 60m semi-finals when she came second in her heat.

The 27-year-old ran 7.18s while reigning 100m Olympic champion Elaine Thompson and 200m world champion Dafne Schippers also eased into the semis.

“It was really good you know but I find it funny that I keep on running 7.18 in all of my first rounds,” said Philip.

“To me I’m really confident with that, I don’t want to over-exert myself, it is three rounds in one day, so hopefully I’ll be fine with that.”

She will be joined by team-mate Bianca Williams who reached the semis after coming fourth in the first heat in 7.31s.

“It’s alright, it’s OK, I mean I only found out I was going to be here on Monday so everything has literally been on fast forward,” said Williams.

“I was ready to be called but I wasn’t ready to be called. You don’t really expect people to drop out of a championship team. You get told you’re going to be a reserve and you’re like yeah, fine, whatever.”

Lee Thompson also reached the semi finals of the 400m after running 46.81s in his heat and Zoey Clark also progressed, winning her heat in 52.75s.